Bimonthly free food may be delayed

Free food that was to be distributed Oct. 15, 16, and 18 to more than 250 low-income families in Marion County may be delayed.

Kansas Department of Children and Families has not yet received federal reimbursement to deliver the regularly supplied commodities.

Lu Turk, director of the Marion County department on aging, was informed last week that the commodities, normally distributed every other month, would not be delivered until reimbursement was received.

Distribution of commodities was skipped altogether in June because federal reimbursement for their distribution was not received.

Turk attempted to arrange at the time for a private driver to fetch the food and deliver it to the county but was told private transportation of commodities to local distribution sites was prohibited.

Normally, food arrives at Marion Senior Center from a distribution center in Concordia and is divided up and sent to other sites in the county.

The program typically serves 72 families at its Marion distribution site; 48 at Florence; 24 each at Hillsboro, Ramona, and Peabody; 15 at Burns; 13 at Lincolnville; and 12 each at Goessel, Pilsen, and Tampa.

Recipients must have monthly household income of no more than $2,413 plus $848 for each additional household member.

Food, selected from a list of dozens of U.S.-grown surplus commodities, is obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program.

Federal funding for the program has not been cut but has been temporarily suspended in the past.